Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

Bernice50

Hi! Please advise if U.S. stores like/take the Clarity Card and, whether you use pin or sign for purchases...also, (yep abit greedy for knowledge here!!) do they ask to see passport when you present card for purchase. Need info asap as travelling on Sunday.
Thank you

murphydavid

Bernice50 wrote: »

Hi! Please advise if U.S. stores like/take the Clarity Card and, whether you use pin or sign for purchases...also, (yep abit greedy for knowledge here!!) do they ask to see passport when you present card for purchase. Need info asap as travelling on Sunday.
Thank you

Stores in Ohio and Florida take it. You sign with a digital pen. They don't ask for a passport.

Lenny210

If I withdraw cash from an ATM in europe with Halifax clarity card will i get charged interest?

Doshwaster

lenny210 wrote: »

If I withdraw cash from an ATM in europe with Halifax clarity card will i get charged interest?

Yes, interest will accrue on a daily basis. However, this interest should be less than the fees or loadings you'd pay on a typical debit card.

I was recently in Spain for the weekend. I withdrew €200 at the airport. When I got home there was a charge of about £170 on my account. I paid this immediately by online backing. When the end of month statement came I had been charged a grand total of 17p interest.

Even if you left it until the statement arrived you'd still only be paying about 1% interest (depending upon the APR of your card)

abandonded

Can I top up a travelex card via a transfer from my online bank account?

Bri1

Bernice50 wrote: »

Hi! Please advise if U.S. stores like/take the Clarity Card and, whether you use pin or sign for purchases...also, (yep abit greedy for knowledge here!!) do they ask to see passport when you present card for purchase. Need info asap as travelling on Sunday.
Thank you

In California it's taken everywhere that takes cards, they don't do pin numbers in the US you just sign an electronic screen in most places

guestjim

In the page on Travel Money it says: "It’s also possible to get load free debit cards – but to do that you’ll need to genuinely shift bank account." This isn't the case.

A debit card with no foreign exchange load, unlike a credit card, allows you to get cash without penalties to state the obvious.

In particular, you don't have to give up your old account to open the Metro Bank current account. This is the best debit card with no load on foreign exchange and no fee. I got a card today. It just takes 15 mins at the branch, [though there may be a queue before you get to see someone to start the process]. And you pick your card up there, with no delay.

Similarly, I got a Santander 123 account to get cash back, without giving up my Barclays Account. [Santander also has a much better Internet Banking system than Barclays.]

To be able to say you've been with the same bank for a long period appears to be a plus when looking for cards. Another reason to retain your old account.

All this done with me having a damaged credit rating.

Great advice on the travel section. Including the credit cards to use. Thanks.

salfordphil

Have just successfully applied for a Halifax Clarity credit card.

If I were to pre-load with a few bob before I went away, would I avoid interest on cash withdrawals while abroad?

NiftyDigits

salfordphil wrote: »

Have just successfully applied for a Halifax Clarity credit card.

If I were to pre-load with a few bob before I went away, would I avoid interest on cash withdrawals while abroad?

Try here..

Nolwenn

I am just about to take a trip to South America for a few months and I wanted to make sure I got the best account/cards. A friend of mine got the Metro bank debit and credit card (both Mastercard) and was told he would not get charge for using either but when in Argentina he discovered that he got charge anyway as they mostly use Visa over there.
I thought that the card being mastercard or visa would not have made a difference. However if there seems to be then which is the best visa card out there?